Can/bottle deposits?

IamJen

I'm just wondering if this law/policy has ever been tossed around? Both my partner and I are from abroad, in places where they have these deposits, and you only very rarely see a can or bottle laying around as litter, because of the monetary value.

<<sick to death of walking through the Fruit Shoot/Oasis jungle that is our pedestrian path

Bongedone

They should do this. There used to be a deposit on bottles when I was younger. I used to make quite a bit of money by collecting them and taking them back to claim the money.

I notice that some American imported drinks in the pub have a deposit on them.

Larumbelle

Good post, but this should perhaps be in green and ethical rather than greenfingered? Could a mod please move it?!

Almost everywhere has deposit bottles, except the UK I too remember collecting glass pop bottles to return for the deposit, and I'm not that old! Only 27. Perhaps the deposits went out with the use of glass for pop. Or maybe it's the fact that our supermarkets have squashed every last penny out of supplier costs - they try not to use glass over plastic these days as it is, let alone bearing the cost of a deposit too!

RAS

Hi

Despite the fact that the whole of Europe has either deposis or reverse vending, UK companies insist on telling the GOvernment that this would affect competition????? And the Government buys it?

I have watched youngesters all over Europe feed reverse vending machines with cans and bottles they have picked up to get cash. That's after canny householders returned their trash for cash.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi

Im glad to say that you pay depostits on most bottles out here and I love it ..
any other bottles etc go into clear yellow sacks for collection once a month and every time you will see a guy going round with a cart carefully opening the bags and removing and deposit bottles that the houseowners can't be bothered to return :eek: ....last time he went by he was snowed under with them all including crates -he must make a tidy penny -just because folks can't be bothered -I have to say that most of the houses around here are m.o.d housing so it looks like mainly us Brits that can't be bothered:rolleyes:

My hubby on the other hand loves it when they have drinks at work -as no-one can be bothered to take the crates back @ about €3 a time ..so hubby throws them in the back of the car and returns them..and buys himself "free beer" :T

IamJen

I loved it as a kid too. Even as a teenager, we'd often pool our "pop can money" to fill up the car, rent a movie, etc.

I wonder if CPRE or some organization might consider taking up the banner?

RAS

try the WI

ceridwen

Another vote for this. I too have to walk through a sea of litter everyday - most of which is drinks cans/glass bottles and plastic bottles.

It wouldnt deal with the cigarette packets/tissues/fag ends/etc - but it would ensure that the majority of the litter no longer happened. I couldnt see any litter that meant money payment staying for long on streets round here - money doesnt - I very rarely find any of those coins other people keep mentioning finding on pavements.

Beyond that - food containers from takeaway foods must be the next most "prolific" rubbish after drinks containers. Don't know what can be done about that - well, I know what I would do if I could - ie close all takeaway food shops. But since that option isnt available to an ordinary person in the street - I dont really know the answer to that one.

EDIT: I do agree this thread should be on the ethical board.

IamJen

Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I'll report the thread I thought I was in G&E.

savvy

I think the advent of the damned plastic bottle brought about the demise of deposits on glass bottles :rolleyes::rolleyes: What a brilliant idea eh, probably down to health and safety :rolleyes: I surprised it's not a compulsory measure in bars etc with the amount of bottles they go through.

And it wasn't that long ago that I got the kids to find cans so we could take them to Alucan and get some spending money for our Sun £9.50 annual holiday! Rarely see the recyling van nowadays :rolleyes:

As for the Government, well they are just blinkered, and can't really be bothered with long term strategies.

IamJen

In the States and Norway though (my partner's and my respective countries), they have the deposit on the plastic ones too.